April27, 2017

WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“I’m glad that former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj was released today by a French court. I hope this action allows Prishtina and Belgrade to get back to the important work of normalization between the two countries.

“But this should never have happened in the first place. If Serbia were serious about its stated commitment to normalize relations with Kosovo, it would never have pursued Haradinaj, who was twice acquitted by an international court.

“Frankly, Serbia has its own housecleaning to do to demonstrate that it wants to join Europe’s democracies. It’s long past time that Serbia prosecutes its citizens responsible for the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. And by accepting dangerous, advanced weapons from Vladimir Putin, Belgrade is engaging in an arms race which will threaten its neighbors and set back security partnerships with United States.”